King James Version

What Does 2 Samuel 8:12 Mean?

“Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.”

Context

Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass: salute: Heb. ask him of peace had wars: Heb. was a man of wars with brought: Heb. in his hand were

Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued;

Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men. smiting: Heb. his smiting

And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(12) **Of Syria.**—1Chronicles 18:11 reads Edom. The two names differing in the original only by one very similar letter (the *d *and r, which are so often confused), it might be supposed that one was an error for the other, were it not that both were actually conquered and the spoils of both dedicated by David, Syria is spoken of here because Edom has not yet been mentioned, and the account of its conquest is given afterwards (2Samuel 8:14; 1Kings 11:15-17); while Edom is given in Chron. because the booty from Syria had just before been spoken of particularly. It may be, however, that both names were originally in both places. **Amalek.**—This is the only allusion to a war with Amalek after David came to the throne. They had been “utterly destroyed” by Saul (1 Samuel 15); but they were a nation of many tribes, and Saul’s victory can relate to only one branch, since David afterwards inflicted a severe blow upon them (1 Samuel 30), and there is no reason why still other branches of the nation may not have proved troublesome, and been defeated by him at other times.

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of 2 Samuel. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

2 Samuel 8:12 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.